Its to balance the CG and get a bigger battery on there.
A 2nd battery might be too heavy so we are using a Hyperion 3300mAh 3s w/Graupner 9" props and it balances perfect.
I will start a new thread so we can keep this one on topic.

Sorry for the horrible lighting. It was dark out so shot in a garage.
Today is a windstorm so hopefully I will get some better video Fri.

tony - realistically, how soo before you are ready to ell the 2 axis gimbal. i'd also like to ask if you have a recommended fpv solution for this platform that may not require too much modding. id be interested to purchase a full packaged solution from you (phantom, graupner 9"s, gimbal, fpv) what kind of $$$ am i looking at. feel free to PM me. looking to purchase in the next two weeks. thks. red1one

Having the alps literally in front of me I'm reasonably certain I can get some fantastic videos of the mountains and countryside and something like the Phantom will really add to what I already do with photos.

Now here's what I'm thinking. Do I go for a Phantom and pimp it out as my skill level increases or go for something like a F450 frame and just bite the bullet on the maintenance and steeper learing curve?

First off I probably won't be using a GoPro, I'm not a great fan of fisheye lenses, but something like the Sony RX 100 Kaz has used, the quality seems much better.

I'll initally start off with my old Contour HD just to get my hand in.

Hi Kaz, have you got any more videos you can upload of the RX 100 on the Phantom?

This lends itself to the gimbal Tony is working on, with the added bonus of the battery mount where I can use something like a 4000mah or 5000mah vislaw has used to give more flight duration.

Hi Tony, on the http://rc-drones.com/ website it says you mostly ship to the US only, any way you can ship this to Europe when it's ready?

Other mods down the road are FPV video, seeing what Wheels has done (great vids mate & greetings from a fellow Plastic Scouser ) and the kit Quadcoptes are working on really gets me excited - actually flying around the alps? Wow

The only concern I have is the range with the stock TX/RX kit, but it looks like it's possible to swap them out for something better. 300m in normal flight is reasonable, but 300m in altitude is still just the little hills around here - 1km range would take me from the valley floor to above a lot of the medium peaks around me, so this would be fantastic.

Stupid Noob question ahead. I presume the range is dictated by the TX module, so swapping this out will give a greater range of control? Anything else to consider on this apart from matching the RX to it?

Now my rationale for going down this path is the entry into the world of RC quads is made very easy, the Phantom looks ideal as a beginners model and the flight modes make it as foolproof as such things can be. As I get better at controlling it I can add the features I've detailed above and activate manual mode and gain more experience in a step-by-step manner.

At some point I will probably move up a level so if I've been carefull the extra bits I've added to the Phantom should be usable on another frame which will mean the overall cost of this project is spread over a few builds - and as long as the Phantom hasn't sustained damage it can be sold on.

Does this seem like a reasonabe idea? Would I be best spending almost double on something like the F450 up front? Are the same easy flight modes on the Phantom available on the Naza-M GPS? How much maintenance over a Phantom do they need to keep flying?

If you are serious about this, I would go the F450 route. Get a good transmitter that you can grow with. The Phantom Tx is limited, especially in the camera control area. The F450 will also give you more options with a Gimbal. If you are not sure, then go with the Phantom. It will give you many pleasurable flights with easy set up.

If you are serious about this, I would go the F450 route. Get a good transmitter that you can grow with. The Phantom Tx is limited, especially in the camera control area. The F450 will also give you more options with a Gimbal. If you are not sure, then go with the Phantom. It will give you many pleasurable flights with easy set up.

I agree with Ed.
Higher altitude AP/AV won't be within Phantom's capabilities.
Once you've pimped it up, you'll end up at the same place you'd be if you started out with an F450.
The F450 is not that difficult.Your technical abilities will catch up quickly if your desire to learn is keen.
If you aren't a little technically inclined and/or seek instant gratification, stick to the Phantom.
Once put together and tuned, the F450/Naza is almost exactly the Phantom plus some additional features and potential for growth and extra payload.
There's plenty of help over on the Naza FC and Naza GPS threads...

Now here's what I'm thinking. Do I go for a Phantom and pimp it out as my skill level increases or go for something like a F450 frame and just bite the bullet on the maintenance and steeper learing curve?

The Phantom is a great way to learn the craft and it is very convenient to have a RTF quad that flies right out of the box. However, it really isn't a practical platform to use for what your objectives are because of its inherent limitations in terms of lifting capacity and power.

I'm enjoying using it to learn FPV flying and it is certainly fun to take the basic Phantom and modify it. But since you are wanting to quickly get above 300m altitude you should get a platform that allows you more power, lifting capacity and better visibility at distance. The Phantom is barely able to lift a GoPro so that lifting anything heavier is going to put you at or over the limit. I also assume that just taking off at the elevation you live in will be cutting down on your performance expectations.

Having said that, the Phantom is a terrific tool to get started with. On Sunday some buddies and I are taking a couple Phantoms down to BIg Sur to fly over the surf. We hope if we go early enough the wind won't be too bad. If not, I may be reporting how well this thing floats in seawater

While I am testing 4000 and 5000mah batteries, they definitely stress the platform and the only camera I'm carrying is the micro-cam velcroed on the battery door. I have a Droidworx Y6 and a couple S800s that I fly for any serious AP work.

The mere fact that you are focused on replacing the transmitter/receiver of the Phantom (something you certainly can do easily) tells me that you would be much better served getting a bigger craft with tx/receiver than to try to use the Phantom for longer distances.

Quote:

Does this seem like a reasonabe idea? Would I be best spending almost double on something like the F450 up front? Are the same easy flight modes on the Phantom available on the Naza-M GPS? How much maintenance over a Phantom do they need to keep flying?

The Naza and Wookong have the same flight modes and there are no maintenance issues to speak of as long as you don't land hard. As I noted above, I think a Phantom is a great way to learn, but most people here would agree that you'll learn more and have a better platform if you build a FlameWheel or other more capable bird.

So, not happy with the previous video, I went back to the drawing board. I rebalanced all my props with the Du Bro prop balancer. I then bought myself some Moongel from the local music shop. Thanks to UK_Wheels for this tip! This is a gel pad that I put between the frame and Go Pro mount. I used another pad within the Go Pro frame holder. This gives me vibration free video capturing.

Next was playing with the Go Pro video settings (I have a Hero HD2) to see which gives me the best footage. 1080 gave me too grainy of a picture. 720p seems to be the sweet spot. 720p wide gives me a slight touch of fisheye effect, but it's not overboard like I felt it was with the 1080 settings.

This is like the 3rd time I took the Phantom out for some actual flying time. Slowly but surely, I am getting more versed in flying the craft and am having a blast. Going to order the FPV gear real soon. Just want to be sure I am getting all the correct items and not making a hasty purchase for something I don't need or won't work for my application.

Shopping List for FPV:
FatShark "Attitude" goggles
1.2 Ghz Transmitter/Receiver (I don't want to use the FatShark's built-in receiver and 5.8 Ghz seems to not give the penetration and clarity that 1.2 Ghz does)
Using Go Pro as Flight Camera & Recorder
*I know this is overkill for Phantom, but I want a system I could fly long range with and put on another quadcopter if I wanted to later on down the road.

The FC system in phantom, Naza- m. Makes me want it in my other quads, but the woo kong stuff. The naza is so smooth responsive and for the first time I feel connected to transmitter and receiver, maybe it's from starting as complete beginner with getting a x650 from having only infrared 3 channel s107g experince and then getting every micro and small size quad made.
The steps of preflight while are similar with xaircraft FC with COMPAS/GPS, the Naza FC/COMPAS/GPS actually works.

Now, a phantom flight club, with star wars like pod races, 2-4 classes: unmodded, motor and blade mod, airframe mods, motor/blade/airframe mods, then a open class unlimited he he; yeah I won with my twelve motor octo hexa quad vtail tricopter, but was disqualified because of the lazer recharge system cutting the other racers quad in half....he he

The low voltage is set to 4v. Rechargeable batteries will be ok.
I am sorry for missing this information in manual.
The transmitter will beep when the voltage is lower than 4v.
Don't worry, it will still work normally when it beeps. But you need land quickly and renew the batteries.

The low voltage is set to 4v. Rechargeable batteries will be ok.
I am sorry for missing this information in manual.
The transmitter will beep when the voltage is lower than 4v.
Don't worry, it will still work normally when it beeps. But you need land quickly and renew the batteries.